Systems and methods for efficient fogponic agriculture

ABSTRACT

An integrated modular and scalable fogponics crop growth system for cultivating a crop includes an upper growth chamber housing a leafy portion of a crop, a lower growth chamber housing a root portion of the crop, a nutrient tank and dispenser, and an environmental system. The nutrient dispenser is coupled to the nutrient tank holding a nutrient mixture for sustaining the crop. The dispenser atomizes the nutrient mixture into a nutrient fog using a booster pump and a high pressure pump capable of generating approximately 800 PSI to 1500 PSI. The high pressure pump is operatively coupled to a nozzle configured to dispense the atomized nutrient fog, substantially between 6 microns and 15 microns droplet size, into the lower growth chamber. Temperature and humidity are separately controlled in the leaf area.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This non-provisional application claims the benefit of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 62/725,996 of the same title, filed in the USPTO on Aug.31, 2018, by inventor Serge J. Bouchard, which application isincorporated herein in its entirely by this reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to systems and methods for high pressurefogponics in agriculture.

Fogponics is the process of growing plants in an air and fog environmentwithout the use of soil or an aggregate medium, also known as geoponics.Fogponics agriculture also differs from conventional hydroponics. Unlikehydroponics, which uses a liquid nutrient solution as a growing mediumand essential minerals to sustain plant growth, fogponics is conductedwithout a growing medium.

Fogponics agriculture has been stubbornly resistant to cost effectivecommercialization with scale. Low and high pressure aeroponics requiresan excessive number of nozzles per plant/tree to produce an evenlydistributed mist and delivering nutrients at low pressure has a tendencyto clog these nozzles. Traditional aeroponics has been prohibitivelyhigh cost, being challenging to design and also to operate and maintainon a commercial grow scale.

It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for cost effectiveand environmentally-friendly fogponics system. These improved systemsand methods achieve highly efficient growth for large scale agricultureoperations while substantially eliminating the maintenance problemsassociated with aeroponics.

SUMMARY

To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention,systems and methods for fogponics agriculture are provided.

In one embodiment, an integrated modular and scalable fogponics cropgrowth system for cultivating a crop includes an upper growth chamber, alower growth chamber, a nutrient tank and dispenser, and anenvironmental system. The upper growth chamber is configured toaccommodate a leafy portion of a crop, while the lower growth chamber isconfigured to accommodate a root portion of the crop.

The nutrient tank is configured to hold a nutrient mixture forsustaining the crop. The nutrient dispenser is coupled to the nutrienttank and is configured to atomize the nutrient mixture into a nutrientfog. The nutrient dispenser includes a booster pump and a high pressurepump, with the booster pump providing back pressure for the highpressure pump generating approximately 800 PSI to 1500 PSI. The highpressure pump is operatively coupled to a nozzle configured to dispensethe atomized nutrient fog, substantially between 6 microns and 15microns, into the lower growth chamber. The environmental systemmaintains an optimal air mixture, including proportions of O₂, CO₂ andH₂O at an optimal ambient temperature for the upper growth chamber.

Note that the various features of the present invention described abovecan be practiced alone or in combination. These and other features ofthe present invention will be described in more detail below in thedetailed description of the invention and in conjunction with thefollowing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the present invention can be more clearly ascertained,some embodiments will now be described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a fogponics growth system in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a side view of the growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C illustrates a partial cut-away illustrating the external shellprovides thermal management for the growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1D illustrates a modular demountable construction style that iseasily transported and handled for the growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 2A and 2B depict perspective and top views of a lower level forthe growth system of FIG. 1A where the roots of the crops are housed;

FIGS. 2C and 2D are partial cross sectional views of the growth systemof FIG. 1A illustrating a representative internal layout of a typicalinstallation and the misting and recovery apparatus at the roots of thecrops;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an exemplary nursery or germinationfacility located inside and incorporated with the growth system of FIG.1A;

FIGS. 3B and 3C are a plan view and a side view of a representativenursery;

FIG. 4A is a representative schematic of a fluid processing system forthe growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 4B through 4E depict exemplary functional subsystems for the fluidprocessing system of FIG. 4A;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are cutaway views illustrating airflow in the leafyregion for the growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate exemplary servers and a control system forthe growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram depicting an exemplary control protocolexecuting in the control system of FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 8 is yet another perspective cutaway view illustrating ventilationfor the growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 9 is a top view of another embodiment of a growth system inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram depicting an exemplary plurality ofdistributed growth systems in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11A shows an exemplary computerized workstation useful forimplementing server(s) for the growth system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 11B shows the block diagram of the workstation of FIG. 11A;

FIGS. 12A through 12E illustrate an exemplary integrated growth systemdetail underpinning the growth cycles from nursery to fully bloomedcrop;

FIGS. 13A through 13C illustrate an alternate densely packed, wellintegrated growth chamber assembly for the fogponics growth system ofFIG. 1A;

FIGS. 14A through 14C illustrate construction details of the foggingnozzles that are used in the chamber assembly illustrated in FIG. 13A;

FIG. 15A illustrates an exemplary heating and cooling system for thefogponics growth system of FIG. 1A; and

FIG. 15B depicts enhanced control of temperature and humidity for theheating and cooling system of FIG. 15A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toseveral embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the presentinvention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, thatembodiments can be practiced without some or all of these specificdetails. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structureshave not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscurethe present invention. The features and advantages of embodiments can bebetter understood with reference to the drawings and discussions thatfollow.

Aspects, features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawing(s). It should beapparent to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments ofthe present invention provided herein are illustrative only and notlimiting, having been presented by way of example only. All featuresdisclosed in this description can be replaced by alternative featuresserving the same or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.Therefore, numerous other embodiments of the modifications thereof arecontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention asdefined herein and equivalents thereto. Hence, use of absolute and/orsequential terms, such as, for example, “always,” “will,” “will not,”“shall,” “shall not,” “must,” “must not,” “first,” “initially,” “next,”“subsequently,” “before,” “after,” “lastly,” and “finally,” are notmeant to limit the scope of the present invention as the embodimentsdisclosed herein are merely exemplary.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for agriculturalgrowth based on the environmentally-friendly and efficient delivery ofnutrition to the root system of plants using a vapor comprised primarilyof water and nutrients, or minerals, illumination to the leaf structuresthat mimic natural light in the spectral range to which the plant orcrop responds best and the careful control of temperature and humidityselected to optimize growth rates. These systems are configured so thatthe growth area can be isolated from external ambient conditions andable to be deployed in a form factor that lends itself to remote regionswith limited natural resource.

The systems can be used to provide fruit or vegetables growing on largeplants or trees to small villages, yet can be augmented, or scaled, tosupport industrial scale production of a wide range of crops. One keyadvantage of these systems is that it requires relatively small numbersof “farmers” having no great skill to be very productive. A consequenceof the highly optimized design is that consumption of resource is smalland this greatly outperforms existing technologies, minimizing waste andmaximizing the cost savings through efficient use of nutrients. Inaddition, the systems can be supplemented using power generated andstored using renewable resources such as sunlight and wind.

To facilitate discussion, FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of oneembodiment of a typical building arrangement for a crop growth system100, in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, thestructural housing of system 100 is predominantly created by attachingtwo or more similar commercially available sub-structures. An importantadvantage is that these structural components are sized to be handled byexisting equipment so that they can be easily transported and assembledwithout requiring any particular accommodations such as lifting andtrucking provisions that are not already in common use.

The elevation view of FIG. 1B also shows an exemplary entrance-way 105that allows personnel access to a basement level of the growth system100; although this is shown at the notional rear of the building, thisentryway can be repositioned according to explicit needs. The entryway105 can be elevated to avoid it being blocked by snowfall or floodedwhen the system is deployed in environmentally challenging regions whichexperience wintry conditions or high water levels.

Superstructure 107 can be attached to and over the assembled primarystructural components and includes ducting and insulation elements thatserve to reduce the impact of ambient environmental effects on theenvironment inside the structural housing or primary structure. Thisallows the conditions within the primary structure to be controlled sothat an optimal growing environment can be provided from germination toharvest. Roof 109 is an external roof that caps the superstructure 107and creates an attic space between the roof of the primary structure anditself which provides a ventilation point for cooling air as well aslope to control precipitation run off. It is also possible to store thewater runoff in an external tank (not shown) to be recycled, especiallyin locations where rainfall and/or water supply is less reliable orpredictable.

In some embodiments, roof 109 can be used as a mounting surface forenergy collection components, such as solar cells for electrical energyor heat collection systems. Heat exchangers can be used for managingtemperature and humidity in the growth areas located inside growthsystem 100 and an air exhaust can be installed at a highest point of thesuperstructure beneath the roof structure. Not shown can be isolationbarriers interposed between the outside and inside used to ensurecleanliness in the growth areas. These can include airlocks anddisinfection zones as known in the arts. In the same way, gutters anddownspouts or water collection and storage provisions are excluded toavoid obscuring the essential detail. Energy collection devices whichcan be mounted at roof level or slightly elevated above and wiring orpiping associated therewith are not shown.

FIGS. 1C and 1D illustrate the construction details of thesuperstructure 107 where horizontal separators 189 are attached to theouter walls of both upper primary structure 140 and lower primarystructure 160. At alternating ends of these separators 189 are cutoutsthat allow the passage of air from a section to the one above. Each wallcan have this structure and each is isolated from its neighboring wallsso that air flow control can be done independently for each wall. Inuse, air enters at the lower point of one end of a section at the entrycutouts 182 and 186, flows along the section to the opposite end, up tothe section above via another cutout, back in the opposite direction tothe next cutout, until finally the air flows along the upper sectionwhere it is discharged through the discharge holes 185 and 187.

Typically these channels are enclosed by using an insulating covering183, such as a fiberglass panel with predetermined insulationproperties. In this way, air moving along these channels accumulatesheat through the walls of the container region where it is situated andwarms, promoting convection until it is discharged into the roof area tofinally be released to the atmosphere via exhaust vent 188 at the highpoint of the sloping roof 109. The vent is sized to provide suitableflow restriction for the cooling flow. Although there is generally noneed to tailor the flow on individual sides of the finished structure ofgrowth system 100, in cases of extreme weather, this can be beneficialand can be accomplished using adjustable louvre style vents at the inletcutouts.

It should be noted that simple screens can be fitted routinely, simplyto avoid the problems created by adventurous insects choosing to buildnests that will compromise the cooling performance. In this process theconvective flow also takes heat from the roof of the containers thatmake up the primary structure as well as from the sloping roof itself.The resulting convection provides sufficient airflow to extract asubstantial amount of system heat in temperate climates. In coldclimates, the airflow can be throttled by the simple expedient ofreducing the area of the inlet point thus reducing the rate of heatextraction. Conversely, in very hot climates, it can be extremelychallenging to maintain a sufficient differential temperature betweenthe growth system 100 and the ambient air so a source of cooled air canbe required. This can be done using a conventional mechanical airconditioning system or an evaporative “swamp” cooler arrangement; a heatpump can also be used to help in achieving the required systemtemperature inside the growth regions within the primary structure.

The attic area of roof 109, that region between the top of the upperprimary structure 140 and the covering roof 109 attached to thesuperstructure, requires no special treatment. Since one of the wallshaving convective channels lies at the low end of the roof, and isnotionally the rear of the structure, provision can be made todistribute airflow to the lowest height section of the attic so thatthis air does not stagnate and become a hotspot at roof 109. If needed,a staggered duct can be used at 181 to provide even airflow rather thanthrough a single outlet as implied by the drawing. This can be done byenclosing the sides of the upper separator at 181 and causing it tobehave as a plenum with one or more outlet slots cut so as to releaseair evenly into the low point of the roof 109.

The lower region of the lower primary structure 160 that does not have asuperstructure overlying it can have insulating panels 184 attacheddirectly. Because the lower primary structure 160 includes a mistingapparatus within, heat is extracted by the evaporation process andyielded up upon condensation thence carried away to the water recoveryplant. Additional cooling is not usually required at this level and so asimple insulating barrier to limit the rate of heat transfer betweenambient conditions and the process area is considered to be sufficientfor many climates.

The roof 109 of the superstructure 107 is of conventional form. Turningto FIG. 1D, vertical posts 111 can be attached to the primary structureroof and support beams 110 laid in several places so as to form asloping foundation for a roofing material. Parallel studs can beprovided for support of roofing material as required. Attachment pointsbetween the vertical posts and the primary structure can be weldments,but these can also be achieved with bolted or riveted structures.

In some embodiments, the growth system 100 comprises two, four or morestandard sized intermodal shipping containers modified so as to form oneor more contiguous internal spaces. For example, two containers can beplaced side by side forming lower primary structure 160, and a furthertwo containers forming upper primary structure 140 placed atop the lowerprimary structure 160. This category of container has a standard widthof 8′ which is fixed, so the width of the structure is about sixteenfeet. Length 170 for a standard container is either 20 feet or 40 feetand so it is possible to fabricate a full sized system or a half sizedsystem depending on the target market. Especially, the globaltransportation of these sized components is a matter of routine sincethe shipping industry is equipped at every seaport to be able to handlethis kind of container structure, and road and rail infrastructuresglobally are already designed with these items in mind.

The rectangular shaped elements of growth system 100 can be attached toeach other in any of a number of ways that render the completedstructure fixed. They can be bolted together and remain configurable orthey can be welded together if the completed structure is intended to bepermanent. Typically the lower primary structure 160 will form abasement or lower level of system 100 and can have their upper area, theceiling, wholly or partially removed. Side walls that abut anothercontainer can also be partially or wholly removed. Upper containers ofupper primary structure 140 that form a top level of system 100 can havecorresponding areas of their floors removed as well as their abuttingwalls so that the constructed primary structure is accessible from oneor more shared entrance ways.

In some embodiments, growth system 100 incorporate sealing structuresthat exclude gases or fluids from outside the structure. The height of astandard container is either 8′6″ or 9′6″ so the primary structureheight can be any of 17′, 18′ or 19′ according to the requirements ofthe installed product. Existing doors can be retained or else removedand replaced with alternative structures. Since internal fittings haveto pass through these doors during installation, a determination can berequired as to which structure is practicable. Because standardcontainers are exceptionally robust, very little special treatment isgenerally required other than selecting an appropriate paint fordurability and corrosion prevention or reduction. The internal finishwill be a light color so as to minimize radiation effects that coupleenergy between the inside and outside. Again, durability and corrosionresistance are important parameters in selecting the finish. In oneembodiment, the internal walls are surfaced with plastic materials thatserve to insulate as well as to reflect light. In this case, louveredelements can be inserted into the plastic so as to predetermine the flowof air between the plastic layer and the permanent wall to set the heatexchange rate. Supplementary fans can be used to add a further dimensionof control.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, an overview of the growing regions locatedinside the lower primary structure 160 is provided in a perspectiveview. The floor 210 of a control room, typically located in the upperlevel and houses the system control equipment, can also serve as theroof section of the pump room 220. Alternatively, the control room canbe located anywhere in the grow farm or in another building. The pumps,valving and piping for the system is housed or originated within thispump room enclosure. As depicted in FIG. 2B, access doors 224 and 105permit entry to the pump room 220 and the respective regions surroundingthe growth reservoirs 282 a . . . 282 c, 284 a . . . 284 c, 286 a . . .286 e and 288 a . . . 288 e, so that routine care and maintenance can beperformed in this area. The control room is elevated or in a separatebuilding so that in the event of a major failure in the irrigationsystem accidental flooding does not occur. Access between the controlroom and operations area and the basement area can be provided by aladder 215. Because the humidity proximate to the growth reservoirs 282a . . . 288 e is extremely high, approaching 100%, ideally the doors andstructures form a fairly good quality seal to reduce moisture egress.

The plan view in FIG. 2B shows an exemplary four rows of grow areascorresponding roughly to the base shapes of the two containers used tomake this structure excluding the area reserved for the pump room 220and access logistics control such as airlocks 210. The grow reservoirs282 a through 282 c and 284 a through 284 c are arranged as two rows ofthree, only by way of example. Clearly the number of grow reservoirs andtheir relative positioning is determined by the acceptable density forany particular crop. In general each crop is different so,correspondingly, the layout of the misting nozzles that create andsustain the nutrient fog that is matched to the root structures andpositions for optimal effect. The second set of reservoirs 286 a through286 d and 288 a through 288 e are shown for completeness and floor ductscan be installed between rows of reservoirs so as to create a suitableroute for airflow management as well as drainage and condensate recoverystructures.

In some embodiments, the entire growing area is well sealed and positivepressure access airlocks with disinfectant systems are provided tominimize contamination. The respective operations floors 242 and 244 arefabricated so as to allow reservoirs 282 a . . . 288 e to be insertedand retained laterally. An elevated subfloor structure 260 providessupport for the grow reservoirs 282 a . . . 288 e from below and alsoprovides a mounting point for spray nozzles that are used to create thenutrient mist. Sufficient elevation of this subfloor can be provided sothat a crawl-space is created between the sub-floor and the floor of theprimary structure granting maintenance access and also a routing areafor the nutrient recovery drains. Not shown in the figure, drainagechannels can be provided for sequestering condensate and recovering itto the main irrigation system. The recovered water is likely to havedebris associated with exfoliation of the root systems and so acleanable screening system can be used to sequester the debris from thenutrient solution prior to the recovery channels.

The root balls of the crop are intended to be located substantiallyinside the grow reservoirs 282 a . . . 288 e. Accordingly a tap rooteventually extends substantially below the grow pod into the growreservoir and this can be a consideration in the layout of the crop. Theleaf bearing part of the crop is produced above the reservoir so asupport structure can be required beyond what is available from the rootpod. In one example of the support structure, a sprung rubber grommetsuitably restrained or attached to the operations area floor can be usedto clamp the main stalk, trunk or the root pod depending on the cropbeing raised.

FIGS. 2C and 2D are partial cross sectional views of the growth system100 of FIG. 1A. The upper primary structure 140 and lower primarystructure 160 are shown with their relative floors and ceiling areasremoved so as to form a single high bay enclosure. Sub-floor 260 isshown supporting grow reservoirs 282 a and 284 a. A ventilation duct 266is located centrally between the two grow reservoirs 282 a and 284 athrough which air of atmospheric composition supplemented with eithercarbon dioxide for the leafy structure or oxygen for the root structurecan be provided. The placement of atomization nozzles 274 a and 274 bfor root ball 292 c and subsequent extensive root fibers that willdevelop and provisions for local drainage 268 are shown in FIG. 2D.Barrier halves 272 a and 272 b environmentally segregate the leafy part292 a from the root ball 292 c of the crop. Barrier halves 272 a and 272b can also provide physical support for the main trunk 292 b of thecrop.

The floor of the lower structure 160 can be fitted with a one piece traywhich collects all the condensate. The duct system at 268 can be easilysupplemented with a stainless steel mesh or grid proximate to it thatallows the passage of liquid, but not the larger debris fragments. Apump can be employed to move the captured liquid back to the waterprocessing system along with a filtration component to remove thecoarser particulates down to the acceptable processing level of thesystem. The cladding for the superstructure is shown at 183 but theconvective cooling ducting is absent for clarity. The insulation layerfor the lower structure 160 is shown at 184 and the roof at 109. Theleaf structures of the plant or tree is shown at 292 a and 294 a.Lighting is provided from overhead lights 250 and the height of thisassembly can be adjusted. Note that lights 250 and lights 570 (shown inFIG. 5B) can be adjusted for height to optimize efficiency during thecrop's growth cycle.

In some embodiments, the radiant energy is measured at the plant and theheight of the light source altered automatically to maintain this energyat an optimal level. Although conventional lighting systems have tendedto use High Pressure Sodium (HPS) or Metal-Halide (MH) lamps forillumination, these are very power hungry and rather inefficient withwaste being dissipated as heat that must be removed, so LED (LightEmitting Diodes) lighting using the appropriate spectral densities forlighting reduce power consumption. In one embodiment the spectral outputis dominant at the red and blue ends of the spectrum with less radiancein the yellow and green part of the spectrum. Using LED illumination forlights 250 reduces the heat output that is associated with HPS and MHlighting and significantly improves the power required by the system.Not only is more of the energy committed to illumination, but thereduction in heat output dramatically reduces the demand on the HVACsystem which in consequences can be far smaller and more economic.

Turning now to the crop aspect of the technology, the initial stage isthat of germination and vegetative area is illustrated by FIG. 3A-3C.Seeds are planted and provided with an environment that encouragesgermination and the production of roots. Typically the seeds areembedded in an absorbent mass that can be spongiform in nature; that isto say that it allows the seed to be bathed in nutrients by absorbingand retaining a nutrient rich liquid. Temperature, usually between 12°C. and 22° C., is closely regulated and over the course of time, rootfibers are produced which are then capable of absorbing quantities ofnutrient and quantities of water directly from vapor, mist or fog.Illumination is not required at this stage since light is harmful to theroots which thrive in a dark environment, mimicking conditions foundwhen a seed germinates in soil. Clones can be planted in lieu of seeds.A spongiform substrate is only required to provide protection andsupport for the plant seedling or clones until it reaches a point whereit has produced a leaf and root structure. The substrate can be leftwith the plant embedded and it will eventually fracture and fragment asthe plant grows. Transplanting the seedling at an intermediate stage ofgrowth can require supplementary support until a substantial rootstructure has developed and in this case, clay balls contained inside agrow pad may be used. The clay is notionally impervious and devoid ofnutritional value and is a purely mechanical scheme for supporting theadolescent phase plant.

Seedlings and clones occupy very little space initially and FIG. 3Aillustrates a perspective view of a representative nursery comprised ofsmall grow structures that hold the substrates into which the seedlingsand/or clones have been embedded. These substrates can vary butspongiform substrates provide good support during germination and arefrangible allowing the maturing plant to fracture it easily as growthoccurs so that there is no particular impediment to the plant'sprogress. Although the germination process has a different nutrientprotocol than the following growth phases, one essential similarity isthe use of a closed vessel that shields the root structures from lightand allows nutrition protocols to operate. An embedded seedling or clonecan be placed in a cut-out in an otherwise insulated lid 330 of theinsulated enclosure 340. A square or rectangular matrix is convenientfor this nursery component. An insulated box enclosure 340 comprisingwalls that are opaque forms the basic nursery element. A nutrientdelivery mechanism is provided, enclosed in the wall and/or base of thebox, and is supplied with a nutrient solution in accordance with apredetermined protocol or recipe by a prepared nutrient solution tank360, booster pump, a filter mechanism 365 and a high pressure pump 370shown in FIG. 3B in plan view.

A storage tank 320 holds a nutrient solution mixed in Reverse Osmosisfiltered and De-Ionized water that feeds the pump, which is controlledto administer accurate doses of the nutrient solution to the seedling orclone. Filtration components 325 remove particulates so that thesolution meets the cleanliness needs of the nutrient solution; dependingon the construction of the delivery system, particulates can aggregateand clog valves and nozzles so their positive control is more likely tobe required than not if excessive maintenance is to be avoided. Once aseedling or clone begins to sprout leaves, it can be transplanted ormoved to a larger growth area 380. A typical nursery function can havemany of the same control elements and functional parts of the growtharea used for adolescent and mature plants except at a scale that issuited for this function. For example until germination has started, amisting system is not required, but a delivery system to feed the germis essential; misting equipment is suitable in the interests of commoncomponent use, but simplified regulated drip systems to ensure that thesubstrate is suitably loaded with nutrient solution often serves as wellat this germination stage. Similarly, light is not needed until a leafstructure begins to form, though there is no severe disadvantage to agermination phase sharing the lighting environment of a leafing plant solong as the roots are not exposed to the light.

Referring also to exemplary FIGS. 2C and 2D, nutrition for the crops,from seedlings or clones all the way to mature plants, is provided tothe roots using a nutrient fog via, for example high pressure nozzles274 a and 274 b. At this point, the support substrate begins to assumeless importance as the plant becomes more self supporting and thetransplanting of the seedling or clone is better served by using a clayball structure to support the nascent plant. The leaf structure of theplant requires the provision of light and atmospheric gases to performthe action of photosynthesis. Nutrients and water absorbed into the rootstructures are moved by the plant to the leaf structures forphotosynthesis to occur and the plant uses atmospheric CO₂ coupled withradiant energy (light) in order to complete this action. In theexchange, the plants yield oxygen, O₂, and transpire a significantamount of water. The O₂ changes the composition of the atmosphere andthe water evaporates and increases the humidity of the atmosphere. Toachieve economic advantage, which normally means rapid growth of thecrop, optimal conditions will be required and this includes constantmonitoring and control of the nutritional soup that is delivered as wellas accurate lighting intensity and frequency (color) coupled withatmospheric composition and humidity control.

Turning first to the nutrient delivery and control system consider thesystem of FIG. 4A which illustrates a typical delivery system 400. Thiscomprises several inter-related systems and is broken out as separateFIGS. 4B-E for clarity. Note that FIG. 4A shows two, more-or-lessduplicated functional blocks as the second and third system lines in thelower half of the Figure. Only one of these will be addressed becausethe same explanation applies to systems where there are manyreplications of this delivery function.

A key objective of a delivery system 400 that incorporates an atomizingsystem to produce a fog or mist is high cleanliness and, ideally, zeroparticulate content. Note that the terms mist and fog can be consideredsynonymous for the purposes of this description; there is no necessarilydefinitive distinction in this context since both comprise droplets insuspension that are too small to fall under gravity and the opacity ofthe mix is irrelevant here. Key to successful atomization is sufficientoperating pressure to project the solution at sufficient velocity sothat the formation of droplets as a result of surface tension of theliquid is limited to a small size. Typical droplet sizes in a fog rangebetween about 8 μm and 14 μm and two factors that determine the resultare the applied pressure and the size of the atomization nozzle. Acomplicating factor is that a minimum supply volume is also required tosatisfy the needs of the crop. In order to achieve a balance betweencost and performance, practical sizing of pumps and nozzles determinesultimately the best combination.

FIG. 4B shows the water processing component of the system that has todeliver a supply of clean water, free from particulates, ionic solutesand bacterial contamination. This is considered to be very close to orequal to laboratory grade clean water. Water is taken from a storagetank 402 that accumulates water from any of several sources and providedto an initial processing system 405 and 407. The supply flow can becontrolled by a valve connected to the storage tank at an outletlocation. The entire system is carefully controlled to conserve water byavoiding unnecessary waste or loss and in consequence the need formake-up water to account for losses is not great. This means that thesystem 400 can be almost entirely self-contained and can operate usingany of a number of external sources for water, including water vaporrecovered from external atmospheric air, condensation or rainwater asthe make-up quantity.

Water from the storage tank 402 is passed to a reverse osmosis andde-ionizer (RO/DI) 405 system such as that commercially available forlaboratory use. This system can incorporate a pump to ensure constantpressure for the osmotic function as well as sensors to measureconductivity to ensure the removal of ionic contaminants to apredetermined level. Not shown are screens and particulate filters thatare used to remove any large debris from the water entering the storagetank and basic filtration needed to restrict the particle to sizes thatwill not damage the pump mechanism for the first stage of purification.RO/DI systems are normally equipped with internal filtration equipmentfollowing an internal pressure control element. The output of the RO/DIsystem is, provisionally, very clean water except that these processesdo not exclude bacteriophages. To exclude these, the output water ispassed to a purifier 407 that subjects the fluid to very intense,high-energy ultra-violet UVC radiation in the neighborhood of 250 nmwavelength, which renders the vast majority of bacteriologicalcontaminants inert, including most viruses.

It is important to understand that the water should already be clear andfree of particulates for this UVC sterilization treatment to beeffective since any shielding or shadowing due to particles riskssurvival and subsequent regrowth of bacteriological contaminants. Thetreated clean water can now be passed to a holding tank 410; anintermediating accumulator 409 can be used to help maintain a stableworking pressure for the proper operation of the level control in thetank and suppression of “water hammer.” An overflow drain 412 can beadded as can a manually operated drain valve 411 for emptying the systemfor maintenance. The figure also indicates the presence of sensors andgauges for monitoring pressure conductivity and levels, as well asoutput flow transducers. By-product water from the growing chambers canbe safely returned to this holding tank 410, since the plants are grownin an almost surgically clean environment and recovered water isscreened and filtered to remove debris. The internal heating,ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system that is used to managethe system environment condenses water as part of the process and thisis basically distilled water that can be returned 415. Similarly, thede-humidifier functionality is very similar, and can return what iseffectively distilled water as well 415. The nursery delivers a nutrientsolution in liquid form until the root system is developed to a pointwhere a fog delivery system is feasible. This nutrient solution flowscontinually to ensure optimal nutrition of the germ and seedlings orclones and can be recaptured, cleaned and also returned 415 to theholding tank 410.

In some embodiments, only clean water is kept in the holding tank 410and returned nursery solution is sequestered in a separate tank to becombined subsequently with the clean water for delivery into a nutrientmixing chamber. The contents of the holding tank can be transferred asneeded to a mixing apparatus (or chamber) where nutrient material can becombined to produce the required nutrient solution. In one embodiment,delivery is made from a holding tank through a series of valves coupledto a pump into a mixing apparatus.

Prior to describing the mixing apparatus and delivery system, thenutrient handling can be considered first. Each nutrient compound isstored in a container separate from other compounds and isolated by asuitable choice of one or more valves and pumps For the purpose ofsimplicity, one-way delivery can be achieved using a non-return valve ora pump which incorporates such protection. Turning to FIG. 4C, therepository 462 for a nutrient (a concentrate in liquid form) isconnected to a pump 461 which feeds a manifold 463 having one or moreoutlet connections. In one embodiment, the pump is a metered apparatusthat delivers a fixed volume comprising 50 μl of nutrient for eachstroke of the pump. For less critical delivery of much larger volumes, aperistaltic pump can be used having a predetermined volume per dischargecycle. A feed 464 and 466 from the manifold is coupled to it using avalve which can be manually or remotely operated. Each feed is thenrouted to a mixing apparatus; so if a manifold has three outletconnections, each one operational, then each of those three outlets willfeed one mixing apparatus. For this example, three mixing apparatusesimplies three separate composite nutrient delivery processes. Deliveryof any nutrient is made to only one mixing apparatus at a time as shouldbe quite clear if accurate volumes are to be achieved; that is to saythat if two or more mixing components are to be served, then deliverywill be sequenced to each part by operating the delivery valves in anappropriate sequence. Valves should not be open simultaneously, but onlyone delivery destination is selected at a time.

This scheme where a nutrient repository feeds a pump thence flows viaone or more valves to a mixing apparatus is repeated as many times asthere are applicable nutrients. Repositories 480 a through 480 nexemplify this approach, feeding individual pumps coupled to manifoldsthence via control valves to mixing apparatus connection points 472 athrough 472 n for one delivery process and 474 a through 474 n for asecond process. Nutrient control is a critical process and warrantsextreme care with cleanliness and avoidance of mis-loading each nutrientcontainer. The nutrient menu changes according to the crop, indeed evenbetween species of a crop as well as the growth phase being nourished.It can be seen then that the nutrient supply component of thistechnology is potentially large with many nutrient formulationspossible.

Nutrients can be pumped from the nutrient supply tanks using precisionvolume dispensing pumps. The solution level may be determined from thesupplier's information, although in practice other values may prove moreeffective. This is a matter of experimentation with various crop todetermine the most efficient use of the plant's ability to take upnutrition. In one embodiment a dilution ratio of 0.8 ml of nutrient foreach nutrient for each gallon of water is used according to adetermination that this was optimal for the particular crop. The pumpsused dispensed twenty strokes of 0.05 ml (fifty microliters) per stroke,equivalent to 1 ml of nutrient, so the minimum amount of water was oneand a quarter gallons (about 5 liters). To accommodate the need forenough solution in the preparation tank and to fill the distributionpiping so that proper atomization was achieved at the nozzles, apreparation tank size of 10 liters was found to be adequate in normalconditions of use, including retrieving solution from the piping afterthe high pressure pump prior to flushing the system. One objective is tominimize the waste that occurs when unused solution must be flushedprior to beginning a new cycle that requires a different solution. Itshould be clear that the tank should be able to hold at least enoughprepared solution to be able to fill the distribution piping and thensupply the flow demand of the system taking into account the volume ofreturned, depleted solution. For a large system, the distribution pipingcapacity alone can easily exceed the small sized tank described for asmall installation and this must be provided for.

In another embodiment, the tank size is determined by the known dailyconsumption of nutrient solution and results in the lowest wastedquantity of nutrients. In this case, the entire day's supply for 24hours may be made up including the additional quantity to ensure that acontinuous supply will be available.

The quality of the nutrient solution determines the point at which theexisting supply should be drained and a fresh batch constituted. In anormal feeding routine, the pH of the solution increases, but thedepletion of the nutrient component of the solution eventually occursand when the pH trend reverses, then the solution is considered to havereached a terminal point and the process may then be terminated bydraining the solution remaining and flushing the system with clean waterbefore restarting the process with a fresh solution. In general, whenthe rate of change of pH approaches zero then this indicates that to thesystem that attention is required and that one or more administrativeprograms should be invoked to determine the condition of the nutrientsolution and take appropriate, remedial action. In one embodiment, theelectrical conductivity is measured and when this has increased by afactor of two, this may also be used as an indication that a solutionrefresh cycle should be performed. The variation in electricalconductivity has been found to be a surprisingly good indication ofoverfeeding or underfeeding of the plants and allows fine adjustment tobe made that maintains an optimal point for a significant time.Measurement of the Calcium ion concentration in the nutrient supply canalso be used; a trending increase in the concentration may be taken toindicate that the plants have no further need for calcium and itsaddition to the nutrient cycle deprecated.

The growth and bloom phases of plants nurtured according to theinvention require different concentrations of nutrient to be suppliedand so the careful monitoring of the attrition rate of the currentsolution may yield a good indication that the optimum performance pointhas changed and so may allow exceptionally quick response to minimizewaste of both nutrient solution and growth time for a crop from seed toharvest.

FIG. 4D illustrates the nutrient mixing apparatus that creates thedeliverable solution to the plants via the fogging system. Basicoperation provides clean water at 498 into the mixing manifold 495.Nutrients are injected at 472 a through 472 n and are intermixed usingeither a mechanical mixing action or by turbulent flow created byobstructions in the mixing manifold 495. The output 494 of the mixingmanifold 495 is directed into a holding tank 497 for the resultingnutrient solution. As a point of note, in some cases, the nutrientconcentrates have to be mixed prior to the addition of water and in thiscase, the water supply 498 is halted, the nutrients are mixed and movedto the holding tank; typically this can be arranged to be a gravity feedso that the nutrient combination simply dribbles down through the mixingmanifold, through a simple turbulator and then drips into the holdingtank. Pump 499 can now be used to circulate the mixed concentratethrough the manifold for improved mixing and then paused while water isadded at 498.

Once the holding tank 497 has filled to a predetermined level, then thepump 499 can continue to circulate the water-nutrient mixture until ahomogeneous solution is achieved. Sensors that record the pH value ofthe solution, the electrical conductivity and the temperature of thesolution are coupled to a controller that determines which correctionfactors , if any, need to be applied and then supplements the tankcontents appropriately. For example if the pH is high, it can be reducedby bubbling CO₂ into the solution using a simple bubbler that is notshown in this illustration. Conventionally, the electrical conductivityis used as a measure of the alkalinity of the solution and this shouldbe modified first to reach the required value, after which the pH can beadjusted. Adjustment to the pH also has an effect on the alkalinity butthis is not generally severe. Provision is made to drain the tankcontents and the mixing apparatus can also be flushed, by adding onlyclean water and recirculating it, so that the mixing manifold can beflushed prior to a new nutrient protocol being applied.

A pump 490 moves liquid from the nutrient solution holding tank 497through a flow measuring system 492 to a high pressure pump 493; in thisexample, pump 490 has an external pressure relief valve 491 shown, butit should be understood that pumps can be used where this relief valveis an internal feature of the pump, as seen at pump 493. In use, thebooster or lift pump 490 primes the high pressure pump. Typical boostpressure are in the range of 10-60 psi, but the pressure must bemaintained at the system flow rate to avoid surging and cavitation ofthe high pressure pump. To this effect, the boost pump is switched onand pressure rises to the point at which the bypass valve 491 opens andthe resultant flow monitored by a flow transducer. This value mustexceed a nominal predetermined minimum before the control system willallow the high pressure pump to be actuated. In one embodiment, theminimum flow rate at 30 psi of boost is set at 0.2 gallons per minute(approximately ¾ liter per minute). Pressure transducers can be used atvarious points in the system to monitor operating conditions and thealert operators if a fault condition occurs. Flow measurements can bemade by measuring the pressure drop across a calibrated orifice 492 andonce the high pressure pump is operational, this flow measurement can beused as an indication of system performance.

The high pressure pump feeds a distribution network of piping andatomization nozzles. Operating pressures in the neighborhood of 1,000psi (more generally 800 psi to 1,500 psi) have been found to give goodlife and reliability of the pump and has not compromised the integrityof the nozzles. Using atomization nozzle (orifice) diameters between 8and 20 mils (0.008″ to 0.020″) has been found to produce adequatedroplet size to sustain a saturation level fog without undue coalescingof the stream to form a spray. It should be clear that pressure alone isnot an adequate indicator of system health since clogged nozzles willcause a rise in pressure that may adversely affect the atomizationperformance of the remaining nozzles to the detriment of the crop.Because failure of either of the lift pump or the primary pump ispotentially disastrous to the crop, in one embodiment a second auxiliarylift pump is provided arranged so that it is engaged if deliverypressure to the high pressure pump falls below a predetermined level.This engagement will trigger an alarm so that a maintenance inspectioncan be performed whilst the system continues to operate. Not shown onthe illustration is the provision for check valves to prevent reverseflow through an inoperative pump. Too low a pressure from the highpressure pump will cause atomization to cease and a spray will be formedthat may damage the root system of the crop. Pumps can be centrifugal,piston or diaphragm operated but it should be understood that they dohave different operating characteristics. An overloaded pump may stopand in this case some provision must be made to prevent damage to themotor driving the pump. Magnetic couplings are commonplace in lowpressure systems and shear pins or similar load relief devices are oftenused in high pressure components.

FIG. 4E shows the delivery and recovery functions at the root zone.High-pressure nutrient solution is delivered at 481 and routed toinjection nozzles 483 positioned within the root containment areas 482.These nozzles are designed to atomize the nutrient solution yielding adroplet size typically between 8 μm and 14 μm, corresponding to theoptimum droplet size for the roots to function as direct absorbers.Micro-droplets at this size do not fall under gravity but form a mist orfog. Droplets will coalesce at the roots when in excess and condense toform larger, heavier droplets that will then run off the roots as asurplus in liquid form. This run off is then collected in a sump 484 andcan be pumped back to the nutrient solution holding tank 497 via piping486. Provision can also be made to inject supplementary oxygen O₂ 485into the root zone.

In some embodiments, the spray nozzles produce a concentrated fogdirectly into the plant sump 484 to ensure that a scavenge pump staysprimed. The recovered nutrient that is returned can be filtered orscreened to reduce debris that is typically the result of root fiberdetachment or exfoliation. Because the plant absorbs some of thenutrient as well as some of the water according to its needs and abilityto process this, the recovered nutrient solution can be depleted in somenutrients and overly rich in others. The monitoring functions at theholding tank 497 provides information about the solution to acontrolling computer that determines which nutrients need to besupplemented and then regenerates the solution to its correct condition.

Also, referring back to FIGS. 2C and 2D, with respect to the upperchamber where the leafing growth of the crop occurs, FIG. 2C shows leafstructures 292 a and 294 a along with lighting structure 250. In someembodiments as illustrated in FIG. 2D, a pair of interlocking barriers272 a and 272 b are located between upper and lower chambers so that theroot environment and the leaf environment can be separated as occurs innature. Accordingly, the root balls are protected from light, the leavescan be provided with a CO₂ rich environment while they transpire waterand oxygen, and the roots provided with nutrients, oxygen and liquidwater.

The management of the root system having been discussed at length,attention can now be turned to the environment management needed by theleaf structure elements of the plant and shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.Because the leaves transpire water, the humidity in the upper chambertends to increase. This can be controlled by altering the temperature inthis upper chamber. Too cold and there will be significant condensationof liquid water and transpiration efficiency of the leaves will suffer.The leaves are also sensitive to draughts and rapid temperature changesso air circulation is carefully managed. Ducting can use fans to assistin moving warm air 505 from the top of the chamber, filtering andde-humidifying it using an HVAC system 515 and returning cooled andcleaned air 520 through ducts 510 to the base of the plant at 525 toreplace the extracted air. The air temperature can be influenced bysetting the flow rate, affecting the time that the air spends in thechilling heat exchanger, but enough time should be allowed to reduce thehumidity of the air.

In some embodiments, the cooled air is vented 530 in part to the upperregion of the chamber where it mixes with the warm air and a lesseramount is returned to the base of the leaf structures. This increasesthe humidity in the mixing zone as the air is cooled and therefore lesstime is needed in the heat exchanger for cooling to the dewpoint tosignificantly remove moisture. Further it reduces the volume of airreturned to the base of the plant and this, in turn, reduces the flowrate of the air and hence the thermal shock to the leaves. The reductionin draughts and temperature differentials for the leaves that resultsfrom this method of managing airflow is found to be beneficial, allowingthe plant to prosper. In one embodiment a target temperature range forthe upper chamber is set to between 12° C. and 21° C. which has beenfound to be satisfactory.

Temperature in the root area is controlled in a different fashion.Because the air temperature directly affects humidity and the foggingperformance, it is beneficial if this is maintained at an optimal value.Accordingly a heating scheme that circulates a temperature controlledsolution through pipes wrapped around or built into the growthreservoirs. This latter heating scheme can be a sealed system and toprotect against the risk of freezing when the system is inactive yetintended to operate in regions having extremely low temperatures, amixture of water and glycol (antifreeze) is used, though other solutionshaving freeze resistant behavior can be substituted. Careful control ofairflow mitigates condensation in the upper chamber and almost all ofthe water that is transpired can be recovered at the HVAC system drain(not shown) and returned to the clean water holding tank 410. The drainfor moving the recovered condensed nutrient solution is shown at 550 andthe condensation drain for the HVAC system is similar in style and canbe routed conveniently. Gaseous CO₂ can be added to the airflow 540 sothat the atmospheric conditions for the leaves can be optimized; thiscan be added anywhere in the ducting for the descending cool air and nospecial effort is required to mix it adequately. Typically a flow ratecontroller is used to feed simple nozzles and is added to maintain theconcentration required. In one embodiment, the cool air flow rate ismeasured with a simple vane turbine and CO₂ is injected as a short pulseof gas whose injection duration is proportional to the flow rate. TheCO₂ content can be measured at one or more points at the level of thelighting bars, just above the plant leaves and below the remixing zonewhere cool air 530 and warm air 505 are blended. If the CO2 level islow, a pulse of gas can be added to the cool air at 540.

Referring also to FIG. 2D which shows the general arrangement of theapparatus for producing and recovering the nutrient fog or mist and itscondensate, the root structure 292 c is, in general, partly contained bya housing, e.g., reservoir 282 a, which can be any suitable shape andsize, e.g., round, elliptical, oval, square, rectangular, or polygonal.One or more atomizing nozzles, e.g., nozzles 274 a and 274 b, can beinserted through cutouts made in the sides of the housing. These nozzlesare supported by delivery piping (not shown) and do not need to beattached to the root housing. In use, the nutrient fog or mist producedby the nozzles can fully or partially fill the housing structure thoughit is beneficial if only sufficient volume to completely immerse theroot structure is used. Condensed nutrient solution, where themicro-droplets have coalesced to form droplets that are large enough tofall under gravity falls to the base of the housing where the solutionpasses through a screen 262 through a drain outlet 264 and into a runoffduct 268 where it can be returned to the nutrient delivery systemholding tank. In one embodiment a flow sensor is installed at thedrainage point at the entry to the pipe connecting duct 268 so that eachgrowth reservoir can be monitored separately; this aids in diagnosingwhich nozzles, if any, are blocked.

Usually a large tap root will be produced by the plant that will descendfrom the growth reservoir and a mass of root fibers will developopportunistically, many outside the growth reservoir. It is notnecessary to completely saturate the entire root structure with thenutrient fog since at least some of the condensed fog in liquid formwill drip down these root components under gravity and achieve much thesame effect in as much as nutrition and water will be available to theseas well as their brethren within the growth reservoir.

As for all components that can be in contact with the nutrient solutionand the atmosphere in the upper chamber, special attention should bepaid to the materials used. Corrosion is undesirable so stainless steelhardware is desirable. Other materials can be used provided that adurable, passivating coating is applied. Teflon coatings are wellunderstood as are powder coated paints, but high quality plasticcomponents can also be suitable. Cleanliness approaching that of anoperating theater is desirable and all surfaces should be able towithstand periodic treatment with strong disinfectants and fungicidalagents without deteriorating markedly. Being able to achieve this levelof cleanliness can pay dividends in rapid growth of healthy crop. Notethat clean room precautions are desirable for operation of this kind offacility.

As discussed above, FIGS. 4A-4E, which illustrates a typical watertreatment and nutrient provisioning system 400, is littered with anarray of sensors, valves and pumps. This implies that a commensuratelycomplex control system will be required. Some elements can be operatedusing simple sequencing logic such as can be driven by a programmablelogic controller (PLC), but many of the sensed pressures, temperaturesand flows are continuously encoded. A PLC is intended for the most partto be interfaced to equipment having relatively simple on-off states andsometimes a small number of analog temperature sensing components. Soalthough we can consider the overall system to be a colocation ofseveral state machines, there are some parts that are not amenable tothis kind of treatment if growth performance is to be maximized.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram illustrating a fault-tolerant and scalableembodiment 600A for growth system 100. A master server 690 monitors thehealth of two or more redundant servers, e.g. server A 682 to server K688, thereby ensuring that the growth system is reliable, which is tosay that the system will continue to operate over extended periods oftime without catastrophic failure and is able to endure events such aspower disruptions and equipment failures. Master server 690 can be ageneral-purpose computer. Servers 690, 682 and 688 should be able tocommunicate independently and remotely with authorized growth managementpersonnel over wide area network(s) (not shown).

A local secure communications channel 670 enables one or more computersor servers 682 . . . 688 to command and/or monitor water preparationcontroller(s) 400 b, nutrient controller(s) 400 c, irrigationcontroller(s) 400 d and root zone controller(s) 400 e (see also FIGS.4B, 4C, 4D and 4E, respectively). Controllers 400 b, 400 c, 400 d and400 e can be replicated so that multiple, scalable modular growthsystems can be controlled by the same server, such as server 682, andlimited only by the latencies implicit in the system and the storageconstraints of the controlling computer or server.

In the event of a fault, the master server 690 can approximate a faulttolerant redundant system by switching control of the growth systembetween, for example, server A 682 and server K 688, when one of theservers 682 . . . 688 malfunctions, due to, for example, a hardwarefailure/glitch or a system software crash. Detection of the errorcondition can be achieved in any of the ways known in the art; awatchdog timer may be set and reset at regular intervals. Because thetime constants of the growth system are computationally very long, inthe order of seconds, containment is not considered to be at risk andrecovery is at worst simply a reset sequence of the remote controllersfollowed by the issuance of resumption instructions. In general,component reliability in modern electronic equipment is exceptional andredundant systems may be used to alleviate many potentially catastrophicfailure modes.

To further facilitate this discussion of controlling the growth system100, FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a Computer System 3000, which issuitable for implementing a master server 690, servers A-K 682 to 688and/or remote communicators such as wireless link equipment forembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 11A shows one possiblephysical form of the Computer System 1100. Of course, the ComputerSystem 1100 may have many physical forms ranging from a printed circuitboard, an integrated circuit, and a small handheld device up to a hugesuper computer. Computer system 1100 may include a Monitor 1102, aDisplay 1104, a Housing 1106, a Disk Drive 1108, a Keyboard 1110, and aMouse 1112. Disk 1114 is an exemplary computer-readable medium used totransfer data to and from Computer System 1100. More commonly, solidstate memory in the form of plug in devices or wirelessly connecteddevices are also used.

FIG. 11B is an exemplary block diagram for Computer System 1100.Attached to System Bus 1120 are a wide variety of subsystems.Processor(s) 1122 (also referred to as central processing units, orCPUs) are coupled to storage devices, including Memory 1124. Memory 1124includes random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). As iswell known in the art, ROM acts to transfer data and instructionsuni-directionally to the CPU and RAM is used typically to transfer dataand instructions in a bi-directional manner. Both of these types ofmemories may include any suitable of the computer-readable mediadescribed below. A Fixed Media 1126 may also be coupled bi-directionallyto the Processor 1122; it provides additional data storage capacity andmay also include any of the computer-readable media described below.Fixed Media 1126 may be used to store programs, data, and the like andis typically a secondary storage medium (such as a hard disk or solidstate memory) that is slower and lower cost than primary storage. Itwill be appreciated that the information retained within Fixed Media1126 may, in appropriate cases, be incorporated in standard fashion asvirtual memory in Memory 1124. Removable Media 1114 may take the form ofany of the computer-readable media described below.

Processor 1122 is also coupled to a variety of input/output devices,such as Display 1104, Keyboard 1110, Mouse 1112 and Speakers 1130. Ingeneral, an input/output device may be any of: video displays, trackballs, mice, keyboards, microphones, touch-sensitive displays,transducer card readers, magnetic or paper tape readers, tablets,styluses, voice or handwriting recognizers, biometrics readers, motionsensors, brain wave readers, or other computers. Processor 1122optionally may be coupled to another computer or telecommunicationsnetwork using Network Interface 1140. With such a Network Interface1140, it is contemplated that the Processor 1122 might receiveinformation from the network or might provide information to the networkin the course of performing the above-described dynamic messagingprocesses. Furthermore, method embodiments of the present invention mayexecute solely upon Processor 1122 or may execute over a network such asthe Internet in conjunction with a remote CPU that shares a portion ofthe processing.

The controlling program is typically stored in the non-volatile memoryand/or the drive unit. Indeed, for large programs, it may not even bepossible to store the entire program in the memory. Nevertheless, itshould be understood that for software to run, if necessary, it is movedto a computer readable location appropriate for processing, and forillustrative purposes, that location is referred to as the memory inthis disclosure. Even when software is moved to the memory forexecution, the processor will typically make use of hardware registersto store values associated with the software, and local cache that,ideally, serves to speed up execution. As used herein, a softwareprogram is assumed to be stored at any known or convenient location(from non-volatile storage to hardware registers) when the softwareprogram is referred to as “implemented in a computer-readable medium.” Aprocessor is considered to be “configured to execute a program” when atleast one value associated with the program is stored in a registerreadable by the processor.

In operation, the computer system 1100 can be controlled by operatingsystem software that includes a file management system, such as a diskoperating system. One example of operating system software withassociated file management system software is the family of operatingsystems known as Windows® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.,and their associated file management systems. Another example ofoperating system software with its associated file management systemsoftware is the Linux operating system and its associated filemanagement system. The file management system is typically stored in thenon-volatile memory and/or drive unit and causes the processor toexecute the various acts required by the operating system to input andoutput data and to store data in the memory, including storing files onthe non-volatile memory and/or drive unit.

Some portions of the detailed description may be presented in terms ofalgorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bitswithin a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are the means used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their workto others skilled in the art. An algorithm is, here and generally,conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of operations leading to adesired result. The operations are those requiring physicalmanipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily,these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capableof being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwisemanipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasonsof common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements,symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purposesystems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the methods of some embodiments. The requiredstructure for a variety of these systems will appear from thedescription below. In addition, the techniques are not described withreference to any particular programming language, and variousembodiments may, thus, be implemented using a variety of programminglanguages.

In alternative embodiments, the computer system 1100 operates as astandalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to othermachines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in thecapacity of a server or a client machine in a client-server networkenvironment or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed)network environment.

The computer system 1100 can be a server computer, a client computer, avirtual machine, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptopcomputer, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), acellular telephone, a smartphone, a processor, a telephone, a webappliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable ofexecuting a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specifyactions to be taken by that machine.

While the machine-readable medium or machine-readable storage medium isshown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches andservers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encodingor carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and thatcause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of thepresently disclosed technique and innovation.

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of thedisclosure may be implemented as part of an operating system or aspecific application, component, program, object, module or sequence ofinstructions referred to as “computer programs.” The computer programstypically comprise one or more instructions set at various times invarious memory and storage devices in a computer, and when read andexecuted by one or more processing units or processors in a computer,cause the computer to perform operations to execute elements involvingthe various aspects of the disclosure.

Moreover, while embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the various embodiments are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that thedisclosure applies equally regardless of the particular type of machineor computer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

FIG. 6B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computerizedcontrol system 600B for implementing servers 682 . . . 688 of the growthsystem to provide the performance described herein. The heart of thecontrol system 600A is a suitable processor 610, e.g., a microprocessoror a microcontroller, that has an associated memory 615 includingoperational instructions as well as temporary storage. This can beentirely implemented in one system packaged on a single semiconductorsubstrate or can be distributed. External interface connectivity 620enables suitable user input device(s) 625 such as keyboards, touchpads/screens and/or joysticks, and output device(s) 627 such as displaymonitors to be coupled to allow interaction with the controller. Part ofthe external connectivity allows local wireless connections 630 such asWiFi or Bluetooth to be implemented that allows for a range of remoteconnection options locally, such as using an appliance to observe thelocal effects of changes made whilst the operator or supervisor ispresent at the area of concern. Provision can also be made for longerrange connectivity 635, such as the internet, to allow data exchanges totake place so that information can be aggregated centrally on a serveror data repository.

Information can be passed to the processor 610 for processing via signalprocessing circuits in either digital or analog form. Devices such asswitches are generally contact closure events and individual digitalinputs can record the switch position via digital input 640. Someconnected appliances can offer their information as a digitized datastream, so that all the signal conditioning can be done internally atthe device. Pressure sensors, for example can often be connected usingone or more of the serial data protocols, e.g., as digitalized streamvia inputs 640. Examples of these are I2C, SPI, serial RS232 or RS422,CANbus, 1-wire™, USB and so on. For the most part, the operation of theoverall system 600B can be relatively slow, having time constants in thefew hundreds of milliseconds so the key to data communications fromsensors to the processor 610 can be robustness, not raw speed. Somedigital inputs are time related so that if rotational speed is beingmeasured directly, the time between pulses can be an aspect of therequirements for the digital input circuit 640. Certain sensors canprovide an analog voltage or current as a measure of the sensed value.For example, position sensors usually provide a voltage that isproportional to their displacement so that the percentage opening ofvalves or vents can be ascertained; temperature sensors are oftenimplemented using thermistors, components whose resistance changes withtemperature and when incorporated in a suitable measuring circuit,produce a voltage that is proportional to temperature.

Pressure sensors can be implemented having either voltage levels astheir outputs or current levels when used as a current loop; there areseveral standards, but a 4-20 mA loop is commonplace; this allowssurprisingly long distances between sensors and their receivers to beused with simple wire pairs. Mass, flow and volume sensors can also berequired as part of any analytical installation such as this system forcontrolling airflow in the ducts and when nutrient quantities aremanaged. Electrical conductivity is another relevant measure as is themeasurement and control of pH, which is a measure of the acidity oralkalinity of the nutrient solution. Gas sensing can be done for O₂, CO₂and other gases as required. In general, an analog to digitalconverter(s) 650 allows analog quantities to be converted into a dataform usable by the microcontroller.

Control outputs 660 drive components such as electric motors or relaysor indicators. Outputs are generally digital, On or Off, for indicatorlights, heaters and cooling equipment; Analog outputs can be used todrive meters that display some of the system parameters that are easilydiscernible by an operator for a quick evaluation of the systemcondition without requiring sophisticated equipment. Electric motors canbe turned on by switch action or else can be controlled by a variablespeed function and a pulse width modulated (PWM) output can be madeavailable for this aspect of control.

The controlling programs useful for embodiments in accordance to thisinvention comprise a number of loops as well as individual subroutinesthat deal with particular aspects. Although the system operates in realtime, the time constants are generally quite long. This means that,except for emergency conditions, simple scheduling can be used for manyfunctions. Distribution of tasks to semi-autonomous remote controllersis also a simple solution for many of the tasks; for example, in thedelivery system that provides the nutrient fog for the roots, a pump isused and the output pressure is controlled by altering the speed of thepump. This can be achieved by using a variable speed drive to the pumpmotor and then using a control loop to manage the pressure. If thepressure rises, then the pump rate can be reduced. If the pressuredrops, then the pump rate can be increased. Because the system ischaracterized, flow rate of the nutrient solution into the pump can beused in conjunction with pressure from the pump to infer operationalconditions so that a blocked spray nozzle can be detected, for example.Similarly a low pressure with high delivery rate can be used to inferthat a leak has occurred.

In practice, many of the functions can be performed using freelyavailable commercial components and sub-assemblies. The choice ofprogramming language is mostly dictated by the tool choices of theimplementers; for example if the Arduino™ series of development boardsare used, then the language will be very much like the C programminglanguage. Other development boards can use Operating Systems andJava-like languages or even scripts.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a typical routine used to operate fogging ormisting pump and atomization nozzles for some embodiments of growthsystems, e.g., system 100, in accordance with the present invention. Atthe time of software and/or firmware installation, initial values 701are stored in memory so that the system has an expected set of startvalues. If this is not done, then the first start can be haphazard andcan take a considerable time to settle into normal operation. After theStart 702 of the program, the initialization values 703 are read andthen the high-pressure fogging pump 705 can be started; this is asimplified example for ease of understanding and there are otherconditions that dictate when the high pressure pump can actually bestarted. It will be recalled from FIG. 4C and 4D that the pump 493 feedshigh pressure nutrient solution to an array of nozzles 482 which atomizethe solution, thus producing a fog or mist of the solution. Themicroscopic droplets are too small to fall under gravity but when theyencounter structures such as the target root structure, that allows thedroplets to condense, the droplets can coalesce and a substantial amountsimply drips downwards where it is recovered by a drain system. Theroots absorb some of the suspended nutrient solution according to theneeds of the plant.

Once the pump starts, a small delay 707 is introduced to allow it toreach its initial working speed. After this delay, a check should bemade on the pump motor speed 717 to ensure that it lies within anacceptable working range, since gross speed errors indicate a faultcondition that can harm the pump or the drive motor or other systemcomponents. Alarm indications can be used to alert operators.

If the speed is high, an alarm 720 can be set that suggests a leak; theleak can be small so that the pressure is still attainable but at eithera greatly increased delivery volume or as a result of diminished pumpperformance. Following a brief delay period 724 that allows an operatorto intervene if needed, the system progresses to an orderly shutdown 725of the irrigation system. A leak condition can lead to minor flooding ofthe system at any point in the pipe run from the pump to the atomizationnozzles.

If the pump motor speed is low, the delivered volume will have reducedyet maintain normal pressure, which implies that one or more nozzles canbe blocked. This in itself is unlikely to require an urgent response butan alarm 718 can be set and a decision 719 required from an operatorwhether to continue or shut down 722. In the case where an operator isunresponsive, after a predetermined time 721 the shutdown 722 occurs.

After sensing that the pump speed is within the expected normal range,pressure is measured by pressure transducers and a determination 710 ismade based on this pressure. The notional pressure is a characteristicof the atomization nozzles which have a range of pressures at which theywill properly atomize the liquid being pumped. If the pressure is toolow, then the electronics (a Variable Frequency Drive is used in oneembodiment) that control the motor are instructed to increase the speed712 of the motor to deliver a larger volume of liquid, which will resultin a pressure increase. If the pressure is within its predeterminedlimits, and this is the first time that the system has been started 715,the initial set point of the Variable Frequency Drive that controlsmotor speed is updated 716 to the current value so that future startswill produce a speed that is known to be correct. If the workingpressure does not stabilize in the expected range, then this update willnot happen, because there will be a fault condition.

Drain activity should be monitored to maintain system equilibrium andcan also function as one of several metrics for performance measurement.For example, the volume or flow rate of recovered solution can bemeasured 726 and this should be slightly less than the delivered volumefrom the high-pressure pump; the actual amount will be slightly less dueto that absorbed by the plants and evaporative leakage into the uppergrowth chamber. Provided that the humidity in the root region remainsnear 100% and fogging is effective, then the drainage amount can be madevery small by reducing the delivered volume. In practice this volumewill be achieved by proper selection of the atomization nozzles.

In this example, the flow rate 730 in the drainage system can be used asa reliable indicator that operation of system 100 is efficient since asmall to moderate drainage rate implies that most of the delivered fogis being absorbed by the roots. The simplified control loop of FIG. 7 asshown does not end automatically though this can be achieved manually,by commanding a shutdown or by the use of a timer or a combination ofsensor readings that indicate that a change is needed, thus invoking ashutdown. For example, in one embodiment, a rapid change intranspiration rate is used to signify the next stage of growth and thisindicates that a new nutrient regime should be started.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective cutaway view for ease of understanding thegeneral arrangement of a functional system for some embodiments inaccordance the invention. Here we can note the leaf section 292 a of acrop. The housings for the root structures at 282 a are supported by theraised basement floor at 815 and access to the control room 820 is viathe ladder 215. In this view, fans or vents are shown at 895 and lightbars are seen at 830. The HVAC equipment is installed on this primarystructure roof area along with the requisite ducting and maintenanceaccess.

Many modifications and additions to the above described embodiments arecontemplated within the spirit of the present invention. For example,FIG. 9 depicts a partial top view of another embodiment of a growthsystem 960 incorporating one or more rectangular grow troughs 982 and984 instead of round grow reservoirs. Each rectangular trough includes aplurality of nozzles, e.g., nozzles 972 a . . . 982 f, 974 a . . . 974f, arranged strategically along the respective sides of the grow troughs982 and 984.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a distributed system 1000 with aplurality of remote grower communicators 1091 . . . 1099 remotelycontrolling and monitoring a plurality of growth control systems 1011 .. . 1019 (each similar to servers 682 and 688 described above) via widearea network(s) 635. Fogponics redundant server(s) 1050 can provideinitial or ongoing advisory and/or management services remotely, such asgrowth nutrients recipes and control algorithms. Optionally, third partyserver(s) 1070, such as weather reporting services or securitycontractors, may be accessible via wide area network 635. Examples ofsuitable platforms for implementing remote grower communicators 1091 . .. 1099 include smart phones, iPad, laptops and/or can also be one ormore general purpose computers 3000 described above.

FIGS. 12A-12E illustrate yet another embodiment of a growth system 1200configured to house seedlings to plants of increasing maturity, shown asplant 1242. FIG. 12B & 12E show lateral cross-sectional views CC-CC &FF-FF of a couple of plant troughs 1282 and 1284, while FIG. 12C istransverse cross-sectional view DD-DD of the plant trough 1282 and aseedling trough 1286.

As shown in FIG. 12D depicting a magnified partial view EE of FIG. 12C,the support structures for plant 1242 includes two parts of the floor1272 a and 1272 b, a supporting ring 1262 a and 1262 b and a growthpod1292. The ring 1262 can be a large grommet that may be in two partsor simply a single split grommet that can be positioned so as to securethe growth pod 1292 into the hole cutout in the floor. As explainedpreviously, the floor is split simply for convenience of maintenance butis required so as to provide at least a barrier to prevent light fromaffecting the root system of the plants adversely. The support andstability needed by the plant is provided by nesting the reinforced rimof pod 1292 resting on ring 1262 a and 1262 b, which in turn rests onfloor parts 1272 a and 1272 b. In one embodiment, a heating or coolingsystem is created by circulating a suitable liquid, such as awater-glycol solution, through a network of winding pipes locatedbetween the growth troughs 1282.

Turning now to FIG. 13A, a perspective view of a growth chamber assembly1300, the enclosing walls 1310 and 1312 for the upper part of theassembly and 1315 and 1317 for the lower part are shown as separateparts by way of example, as these upper and lower components can becombined into a single part such as a molding. Fabrication of theseouter walls may be done using any suitable material, such as a stainlesssteel or PVC or a polyethylene material. The production of a nutrientfog is achieved with nozzle assemblies 1320 that are inserted throughthe outer wall and extend through the inner wall structure to producethe fog within the root region in the growth troughs 1282 of the growthchamber 1300. The floor of the growth chamber is nominally at thedivision between the illustrated upper 1310 and lower 1315 outer wallcomponents, but its actual position is determined by manufacturingconvenience. Airflow is provided beneath the floor 1350 of the rootregion, entering at a duct at the end of the assembly 1300 (see 1325 atFIG. 13B) and exhausted back into the growth room through the holes1330. Measuring sensors 1340 are located proximate to the nozzleassemblies 1320 though sensor location is a design choice; for examplethere may be several sensors located together in one area or else theremay be a number of sensors located at various points in the root regionbeneath the floor 1350. The division between the root of the plant andthe stem/leaf system of the plant comprises the roof to the chamber andis shown at 1350. This is typically made of a durable plastic such as aLow Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE) that is easily replaced in sections;holes are provided in the structure to accommodate the plant. In thisillustration, the lower end plate is shown as a flat plate withoutventilation exhaust holes 1317 but this is again a design choice, andaccording to the limits of the area within which the growth chamber islocated, ventilation holes are not prohibited.

In some embodiments, growth is achieved at higher temperatures than areconventionally used. One advantage to this is that the cooling burden isreduced and so air conditioning equipment is only needed when theambient temperature surrounding the installation is significantly higherthan this elevated growth temperature. Accordingly, simple chillers canbe substituted for air-conditioning equipment in many cases, with theattendant benefits of reduced power requirements. Thus forced airflow tothe underside of the floor of the root region is generally sufficient tomodulate the temperature of the growing environment, both root and leafarea.

FIG. 13B is a plan and elevation view of the illustration of FIG. 13A.Airflow is provided by a forced air system comprised of one or more fansand a simple ducting system that moves air from the upper reaches of thegrowth room, through a ductway 1325 leading under the floor of the rootregion to exhaust from holes 1330 cut in the lower panels. Theillustration shows a rectangular duct, but this is merely illustrativeand, for example, circular ducts may be used without limiting anembodiment. The panels 1350 that separate the roots from the stem of thecrop have access holes cut into them so that the “pot” or net structurethat contains the root ball may be fit into the lid 1350 securely.Although the illustration in FIG. 13A shows a fairly dense hole patternin 1350, it should be clear that this hole distribution is determined bythe crop to be grown and will vary according to the practicalconstraints for all or any crop.

Turning now to FIG. 13C, an example of the construction of this growthplatform is shown. Here it can be seen that the root region below panels1350, within which the fogging system is positioned, can be sloped sothat a low point is formed in which a drain system can be installed (notshown). The nutrient fog that is created by a system of nozzlessaturates the root region that lies between the floor 1365 and the lidsor roof panels 1350. Any further addition of fog should result incondensation that increases droplet size within the chamber that formsthe root region, which enlarged droplets then falls under gravity andcoalesce to form a liquid stream that can be drained back into thenutrient processing system. The outer walls or panels of the growthplatform can be constructed of a PVC or polyethylene material, althoughany convenient material may be substituted. The inner surfaces of thesepanels are lined with a thermal insulator 1305, which in one embodimentembeds a network of hydronic conduits. This may be as simple as a seriesof pipes through which a liquid heat transfer medium may be pumped. Theprovision of a predetermined temperature in this insulating layer servesto render the inside of the reservoir independent from temperaturevariations outside the reservoir. The inner surface of this insulatinglayer 1305 supports an impermeable reservoir liner 1307 that forms thebottom and sides of the reservoir that defines the root region and thatprevents the saturated atmosphere created by the fogging nozzles fromwetting the insulating material and offering a route for bacteriologicalcontamination such as mold growth.

The fogging nozzles 1340 are supplied with the nutrient rich fluid andproduce a fine mist of microdroplets that are nutrient rich and areinitially too small to fall under gravity. As the atmosphere within thereservoir area (the root region) reaches saturation, droplets willeventually coalesce and grow until they begin to fall under gravity. Toachieve the required small sizes of droplet to form a fog, high liquidpressures are needed. This liquid distribution is achieved using astainless steel seamless pipe 1370, pressurized with a high pressurepump. A pressure transducer is installed at the lowest pressure point inthis distribution manifold, typically close to the connection betweenthe manifold and the nozzle furthest from the inlet point to which thepump is connected, so that the delivery pressure can be maintainedwithin the range that allows the fogging nozzles to operate properlywithout forming drips resulting from a failure of the nozzle to create amist due to low pressure. For completeness, flexible braided lines areattached between the manifold pipe and individual nozzles. Suitablechoice of pipe bore and associated interconnection fittings avoid thecomplexities of flow and pressure management at individual nozzles.

Fogging nozzles 1340 operate at high pressure, e.g., in the neighborhoodof 70 bar or 1000 p.s.i., and have a nozzle orifice that is a smalldiameter, e.g., between six and twenty thousandths of an inch dependingon desired droplet size. The nutrient solution is carefully mixed andfiltered to remove particulates since the presence of solids leads towear that can reduce the fogging performance of the nozzle, and anycontaminants can also block the nozzle orifice either partially orcompletely. Although repair may be possible, in general it is possibleto simply change the nozzle assembly 1400 shown in FIG. 14A, so thatsystem downtime is minimized and subsequent component repair may becarried out without substantially affecting the crop growth cycle. Tothis end, a nozzle subassembly is simply inserted into precut holesabove the floor of the reservoir, in the root region. A goal is to makethe maintenance of the fogging system as efficient as possible. To thisend, FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate the construction of these subassemblies.

FIG. 14A, 14B and 14C depict exemplary side view, cutaway view andperspective views of the nozzle assembly 1400 that allows the internalconstruction to be clearly seen. The functionality described can beachieved with variations that do not materially change the operation ofthis nozzle. At the cost of more difficult maintenance one embodimenthas the nozzle adapter 1420 connected directly to a semi-permanentpressure feed that is installed as part of the reservoir. The body ofthe nozzle assembly 1410 provides the attachment for the nozzle adapter1420 as well as the assortment of sealing materials to prevent leakagefrom the inside of the reservoir. The assembly is installed by insertingthe assembly 1400 from the inside of the reservoir so that the finishedend that supports the one or more fogging nozzles is within thereservoir. A gasket 1430 ensures that a good watertight seal ismaintained between the reservoir liner 1307 and this assembly 1400. Thegasket 1430 may be made from any convenient material and in oneembodiment a neoprene gasket is used; the requirement is that the gasketmaterial be sufficiently compliant to seal in the presence of surfaceimperfections or irregularity at the surface of the liner 1307. Theouter end of the body of the assembly 1400 is threaded and a nut 1415screwed onto it to compress the panel 1310, insulation 1305 and liner1307 materials, thus securing the assembly. One or more nozzles can befitted into the nozzle adapter 1420 so that the spray patterns from thenozzle(s) are more or less symmetrical about the vertical axis to ensuregood coverage of the root systems whose volume bulk can be above orbelow the nozzle(s).

In some embodiments, a simple keying system is used, which may be a flator a protrusion from the body of the assembly 1400 so that preassembledcomponents require no particular alignment procedure. To tighten thenut, hand pressure alone may be adequate, but if desired, a simplespacing washer may be used between the outer surface of the panel 1310and the inner surface of the nut to reduce friction. The requiredtightness is that which ensures a water resistant seal between thegasket 1430 and the reservoir liner 1307. Synthetic sealants may be usedbut it is important that they be fully cured before the system is used,due to the potential toxicity of fumes produced whilst curing.

The fogging nozzle adapter 1420 is threaded onto a schedule 80 stainlesssteel pipe 1435. A seal 1425 is inserted into the assembly body and thepipe inserted into a preformed hole in the seal. A seal backing ring1427 is then installed that also secures the pipe in the center of theassembly. A gland 1440 is inserted that presses against the backing ring1427 and the seal is compressed using nuts 1445 which screw ontothreaded components 1446 that have been installed into the assembly body1410. Screws may also be used to tighten the gland 1440 though thisrisks damage to the body from repeated insertions into a comparativelysoft material. The body should not be of a material that corrodes in thepresence of moisture or any of the chemicals that are used in thenutrient solution. A fitting 1450 is finally added to the finishedbulkhead assembly that allows a connection to be made to the highpressure distribution line; typically a braided flexible hose is used toconnect the completed nozzle assembly to the distribution line ormanifold. The fogging nozzles 1470 may be inserted into the nozzleadapter 1420 at any suitable time. The function of the entire nozzleassembly 1400 can be verified prior to installation since improperperformance can be masked by the presence of the other fogging nozzlesand only eventually discernable as poor growth performance in certainareas of the growth platform. FIG. 14A shows a horizontal nozzle and asingle additional nozzle used to ensure that the fogging performance isuniform across the working width of the growth platform. This fill-in atthe edges ensures the maximum usable root area. In some embodiments, twoadditional nozzles are used, more or less symmetrically disposed aboutthe vertical to improve the inter-nozzle coverage between the foggingassemblies.

As the crop reaches maturity, the continuous light and nutrition regimesthat characterize the rapid growth phase of the plants becomeprogressively less efficient. The plants then move into a cycle thatmore closely mirrors the day and night cycle that defines the plantmetabolism. The effects of light and dark are easily simulated byaltering the light intensity and spectral content as desired, or atleast within the capability of the lighting mechanism. A furtherrequirement is the modulation of temperature and humidity to properlyreflect the optimal growth and production needs of the plant or crop.

Contrary to common practice, for some plant species, the temperature andhumidity range between the simulated day and night environment andvaries within an elevated temperature range that approaches averages of,for example, 110° F. along with a humidity as low as 45% and as high as70% during the daylight cycle, to a low temperature of between 55° F.and 60° F. with a humidity in a similar range. Using standard HVACtechniques to regulate temperature and humidity is surprisinglydifficult because the heating cycle allows the humidity to climb as theplants transpire water and so a cooling cycle is needed to reduce thehumidity of the air. This results in considerable energy expenditure andcomplexity to manage these two elements closely because they are tightlycoupled and interaction cannot be avoided.

In some embodiments, humidity and temperature can be controlled fairlyprecisely and are quite well decoupled, which in concert with separate,closed heating and dehumidifying sections enables the system to beentirely contained. An advantage is that with very little fluid loss inthe heat exchanger system maintenance of the fluids is kept to aminimum. Turning to FIG. 15A, this figure illustrates system operationat the block diagram level. Four exemplary tanks, 1505, 1510, 1515 and1520, containing a water-glycol mixture are temperature controlledindependently. Any antifreeze mixture that prevents any risk of freezingof the fluid due to extreme malfunction or system failure in harshenvironments may be used. It is beneficial if the heat capacity of thesystem is not compromised by improper choice of fluid, nor must thefluid cause corrosion in the system components. A heating or coolingsystem associated with each tank, not shown in this diagram, allowsprecision control of tank temperature and is implemented at build-timeso as to be operable in the intended environment in which the growingsystem will be implemented. Although each tank may be equipped with bothheating and cooling capability for the fluid contained in the tank, thisrepresents an avoidable expense if proper planning is used.

In some embodiments, a single heating and cooling system is used and anarrangement of valves used to route the fluid so that is raised orlowered to the predetermined temperature for that tank. By choosing thevolume of fluid for each tank, then sufficient thermal capacity isassured to hold the fluid temperature close enough to the predeterminedtemperature to maintain a stable growing temperature and humidity.

Referring now to the functional block diagram of FIG. 15A, consider thetask of raising the temperature of the growing chamber. The hightemperature cooling tank 1505 is heated or cooled as required and heldat a predetermined temperature. The fluid from this tank is passed to aheat exchanger 1507 where energy is exchanged into a second circuit thatis coupled by a system of valves to the growing chamber radiator 1530which radiator may be equipped with a fan so as to produce a more evenheating or cooling effect. At first, the chamber will be cool or coldand the warm fluid at the predetermined temperature of the fluidcontained in tank 1505 serves to raise the temperature of the growingchamber to that of the fluid. However, the temperature of the growingchamber is also being raised when the lighting system is in operationdue to the significant energy being dissipated by the lights. At somepoint, the temperature of the growing chamber will exceed that of thefluid in radiator 1530 and instead of heating the chamber, the radiatornow serves as a cooling influence. Excess heat energy is removed byusing one or more fans to circulate air through the radiator 1530 whichis a heat exchange process. In order for heat to be extracted, theremust be a temperature differential between the ambient air beingcirculated over the heat exchanging radiator and the fluid within theradiator. Although ideal temperature ranges can be recalibrated forgrowth optimization of different plant species, for some plant species,experimentation has shown that an exemplary target temperature for thefluid of 92° F. resulted in the desired exemplary operating temperaturefor the plants of about 110° F.; with an exemplary temperaturedifferential of about 18° F. or 10° C. Using a radiator for this growingchamber heat exchanger that has a larger surface area will reduce thisdifferential temperature as will moving more air over the radiator fins.Once the desired temperature is achieved, valve 1509 can be closed andafter a short time lag the chamber temperature will then rise again. Insome embodiments, the valve 1509 is continuously variable so that thefluid flow may be modulated to achieve a more precise chambertemperature.

During the daylight cycle when photosynthesis is occurring andtemperatures are quite high, plant transpiration releases water vaporinto the air in the leafy section of the growing chamber and so thehumidity rises. Depending on the crop being processed, there is arespective range of humidity which optimizes the plant's performance. Toreduce humidity, it may be necessary to remove this mainly transpiredwater from the air. Tank 1510 holds fluid at a lower temperature thantank 1505. As for tank 1505, valve 1509 is closed to stop its fluid fromcirculating through radiator 1530. Fluid from tank 1510 is passed toheat exchanger 1512 and this allows fluid in a second circuit to passthrough valve 1514 to the chamber radiator heat exchanger 1530. If thefluid in this second circuit is below the dew point for the atmospherein the growing chamber, then water will condense on the fins of theradiator heat exchanger and can be exhausted to a drain 1535. Again,although this can be calculated, an experimental determination of thefluid temperature in tank 1510 is quite adequate and when this is 70° F.the humidity in the growing chamber is easily brought into the desiredrange. Beneficially, this cooling rate of the air mitigates a rapid risein temperature due to the heat energy released by the illumination forthe growing chamber and, once the humidity has reached the predeterminedpercentage, then valve 1514 may be closed and valve 1509 re-opened toresume active control of the temperature in the growing chamber.

Once the plant moves into the resting cycle as the system moves to thenight-time simulation, then the chamber needs to be cooled to thepredetermined temperature so that the plant may stop feeding andphotosynthesis stopped. In the same manner as described above, tank 1515contains fluid at a temperature that, when passed through heat exchanger1517 thence through the second circuit through valve 1519 into thechamber radiator heat exchanger 1530, stabilizes the chamber temperatureto, for example, between 55° F. and 60° F., which temperature ispredetermined according to the crop being grown. Experimentally thetemperature of the fluid in tank 1515 was determined to be about 55° F.;although this might appear to offer too low a temperature differentialfor efficient cooling or heating of the chamber air, it should be notedthat the heat energy that must be dissipated is far lower at simulatednight because the illumination mechanism is inactive. In a mannersimilar to the daylight environmental control, as the air temperaturedrops, the humidity will increase and so once the predetermined chambertemperature is reached, valve 1519 can be closed and the dehumidifieraction started. Tank 1520 contains fluid that is held at the lowesttemperature of all four tanks. As described, this fluid is passed to aheat exchanger 1522 and the second circuit passes fluid through valve1524 to the chamber radiator heat exchanger 1530. To control thehumidity, the temperature of the second circuit fluid needs to beconsiderably lower than might be expected and experimental determinationshows that a temperature just above the freezing point of water providesbest performance; it should be clear that if the extracted water isallowed to freeze then the system will be inefficient and, even thoughthe next application of warmer fluid in pursuit of temperature controlwill melt any accumulated ice, the regulation of both temperature andhumidity will be inadequate. Accordingly the temperature of the fluid intank 1520 is held above freezing at about 33° F.

FIG. 15B shows an augmented embodiment of the chamber air treatmentsystem. Here two radiator type heat exchangers, 1530 and 1540 are used.The airflow is generated by a fan assembly which may be incorporated inthe radiator assemblies Radiator 1530 provides the temperature controlelement for the growing chamber and is fed by the secondary circuits ofeither the daytime system through valve 1509 or the night-time systemthrough valve 1519. The feed points “WW”, “XX”, “YY” and “ZZ” correspondto the same identifying points in FIG. 15A and the valves are also thesame ones identified in FIG. 15A. Radiator 1540 provides the humiditycontrol and is fed by the secondary circuits for the daytime systemthrough valve 1514 or the night-time system through valve 1524. In thisembodiment, the airflow is continuous passing through first thetemperature control radiator assembly 1530 passing through the growingchamber to absorb transpiration water from the plant foliage and thenthrough the dehumidifying radiator 1540 before being directed to thewalls of the chamber where it circulates up and around and back to thetemperature control radiator. No special ducting is needed to direct theflow but fan speed in the radiator heat exchangers can be altered so asto change the heating or cooling rates for either exchanger by changingthe air volume per unit time. This results in superior control of thegrowing chamber environment and leads to both reliability and economicaloperation. Drain 1535 can be common to both exchangers; the watercondensed is clean and can be used as makeup water for the nutritionsystem, minimizing the overall loss of water and reducing the demand onexternal supplies.

Pumps can be used to circulate the fluids between the heat exchangingelements and that non-return valves can be used to limit undesirableflow. In some embodiments, a single chilling unit can be used to coolthe coldest tank fluid and an arrangement of circulating pumps, valvesand small heat exchangers can be used to provide cooling to any otherholding tank's contents. A single header tank, not shown, can be used tosupply make-up fluid for any of the tanks since the fluid is the same ineach and only the temperature is altered. If supplementary heat isrequired at the growing chamber heat exchangers, either to speed up theprocess or to improve dehumidification performance, then electricheaters may be attached to the heat exchanging radiators. The use of fancooling is practical in most ambient conditions where these units areplaced and by using the system architecture laid out herein, costlyrefrigerant systems can be avoided. A two stage exchange system isdescribed because it allows the secondary loop to operate with a minimumamount of fluid. The primary system can be built remotely to any scaleand can be arranged to support a large number of growing chambers. Sincethe secondary system is of limited fluid volume, leaks and spillage arereduced which in turn mitigates against a catastrophic spill of a largevolume of a comparatively toxic nature to the crop. This also provides asignificant advantage that maintenance work in the chamber can becarried out far more easily since only small fluid loss must becontained if any of the components must be replaced. It should be clearthat safety provisions such as overpressure relief valves, temperaturecut-outs and fuses or circuit breaker protection for electricalequipment is considered to be normal industrial practice.

In sum, the present invention provides systems and methods for fogponicsagriculture. Advantages include substantial reduction in maintenancecosts, enabling the substantial reduction in waste of the nutrients andalso greatly improved growth performance of the target crop,

While this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments,there are alterations, modifications, permutations, and substituteequivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. Althoughsub-section titles have been provided to aid in the description of theinvention, these titles are merely illustrative and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present invention.

It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways ofimplementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It istherefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted asincluding all such alterations, modifications, permutations, andsubstitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

1. An integrated fogponics crop growth system for cultivating a crop,the system comprising: an upper growth chamber for accommodating a leafyportion of a crop; a lower growth chamber for accommodating a rootportion of the crop; a nutrient tank for holding a nutrient mixture forsustaining the crop; a nutrient disperser coupled to the nutrient tankand for atomizing the nutrient mixture into a nutrient fog, wherein thenutrient dispenser includes a booster pump and a high pressure pump, andwherein the high pressure pump is operatively coupled to a nozzleconfigured to dispense the atomized nutrient fog into the lower growthchamber; and an environmental system for maintaining an optimal airmixture at an optimal ambient temperature for the upper growth chamber.2. The system of claim 1 wherein the high pressure pump generatesbetween approximately 800 PSI to 1500 PSI at the nozzle.
 3. The systemof claim 1 wherein the upper growth chamber and the lower growth chamberare constructed using modular structures.
 4. The system of claim 3wherein the modular structures are shipping containers.
 5. The system ofclaim 1 further comprising at least one computerized server forcontrolling the nutrient dispenser and the environmental system via alocal communication channel.
 6. The system of claim 5 further comprisinga water preparation controller, a nutrient preparation controller and aroot zone controller for controlling the nutrient dispenser via thelocal communication channel.
 7. The system of claim 5 wherein the atleast one computerized server includes two or more redundant servers. 8.The system of claim 7 further comprising a master server for monitoringthe two or more redundant servers and wherein the master server switchescontrol of the nutrient dispenser and the environmental system betweenthe two or more redundant servers.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein themaster server and the two or more redundant servers are coupled to awide area network.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the wide areanetwork includes the Internet.
 11. The system of claim 9 wherein atleast one of the master server and the two or more redundant serverssecurely communicate with one or more remote grower communicators viathe wide area network.
 12. The system of claim 1 further comprising afluid heat exchanger operatively coupled to the lower growth chamber,and wherein the heat exchanger maintains an optimal temperature for thelower growth chamber.
 13. The system of claim 1 further comprising anirrigation controller for draining the lower growth chamber.
 14. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein a root stem of the crop is located inside agrow pod supported by a support ring which is in turn supported by afloor located between and environmentally separating the upper growthchamber and the lower growth chamber.
 15. The system of claim 14 whereinthe support ring includes two or more segments.
 16. The system of claim14 wherein the crop is suspended inside the grow pod by a plurality ofclay balls.
 17. The system of claim 1 wherein the nutrient fog issubstantially between 6 microns and 15 microns.
 18. The system of claim1 and wherein the booster pump provides back pressure for the highpressure pump.
 19. The system of claim 1 further comprising a day-timetemperature control tank operatively coupled a heat exchanger forcontrolling temperature in at least one of the upper growth chamber andthe lower growth chamber.
 20. The system of claim 1 further comprising aday-time humidity control tank operatively coupled to a heat exchangerfor controlling humidity in at least one of the upper growth chamber andthe lower growth chamber. 21-26. (canceled)